Stanar je potpisao ugovor.

to be

Breakdown of Stanar je potpisao ugovor.

• potpisati: to sign
• stanar: tenant
• ugovor: contract

Questions & Answers about Stanar je potpisao ugovor.

Why is je used in Stanar je potpisao ugovor?

Je is the 3rd person singular present form of biti (to be), and here it helps form the past tense.

So the structure is:

• stanar = the tenant
• je = has/is
• potpisao = signed

In Serbian, the common past tense is made with:

• a present-tense form of biti
• plus the past participle

So je potpisao means signed / has signed, depending on context.

---

Why is it potpisao, not just potpisati?

Potpisati is the dictionary form (the infinitive), meaning to sign.

In the sentence, you need the past participle, because the action happened in the past. For a masculine singular subject, that participle is:

• potpisao

So:

• potpisati = to sign
• potpisao = signed (masculine singular)

If the subject changed, the form would change too:

• Stanarka je potpisala ugovor. = The female tenant signed the contract.
• Stanari su potpisali ugovor. = The tenants signed the contract.

---